1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for and a substrate processing method of performing processing, such as cleaning, of various types of substrates such as semiconductor wafers, glass substrates for photomask, glass substrates for liquid crystal display, glass substrates for plasma display and optical disk substrates while supplying a processing liquid to the substrates.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a conventional substrate processing apparatus of this type, such a substrate processing apparatus is known which comprises a rotate/hold member which rotates a wafer, a type of a substrate, which is held at its rim region by holders which may be holder pins and a nozzle which supplies a processing liquid such as a chemical solution and pure water at a predetermined flow volume toward the bottom surface (back surface) of the wafer. In the substrate processing apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 2003-309102 for example, the bottom surface of a wafer is rinsed as a nozzle supplies a processing liquid (rinsing liquid) to a central region of the bottom surface of the wafer while rotating a rotate/hold member by a motor or the like with the wafer held. The nozzle is connected with a suction apparatus which may be an aspirator, a vacuum pump or the like via on-off valves, and as the suction apparatus operates and the on-off valve (suction valve) is opened after rinsing, drops of the processing liquid adhering to the inside of the nozzle and the on-off valve (processing liquid supply valve) which is inserted between the nozzle and a processing liquid supplying source are sucked and removed. Nitrogen gas is then blown against the bottom surface of the wafer via the nozzle while rotating the wafer at a predetermined number of revolution, thereby drying the wafer. This prevents generation of mist of the processing liquid inside the nozzle at the time of gas ejection and obviates formation of a watermark.